


Inaba of the Earth

by UnmovingGreatLibrary



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 09:14:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15215948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnmovingGreatLibrary/pseuds/UnmovingGreatLibrary
Summary: When Reisen first arrives in Eientei, she's an anxious, lonely deserter. Kaguya is happy to give her a place to belong, but as life on Earth changes Reisen, the relationship between master and servant grows more and more complicated.





	1. Chapter 1

Kaguya had lived on the Earth for centuries, but the bamboo forest still fascinated her.

The sun had gone down an hour ago, and the woods were still full of life. Raw, untamed life, unlike the carefully curated gardens of the moon. Chirping insects and hooting birds filled the night, occasionally punctuated by a wolf howl or the rustle of a larger creature moving in the distance. Now and then, the underbrush parted as another rabbit made its way home for the night. Kaguya crouched down to greet each one with a pat on the head, but continued on her way.

The new arrival was seated in the open hallway at the rear of the mansion. She sat with her head bowed and one crumpled ear cocked up, like she was listening to somebody. She probably was, but it was no voice that anybody else would notice. A sliver of red light shined past her closed eyelids.

Kaguya approached her. In one hand, she had a pot of tea. In the other, two cups. She bent down to sit the pot on the floor. “Oh,” she said, “I didn't know I'd have company.

She spoke quietly, but it was still enough to send a jolt through the rabbit's body. Her ears both twitched upright, and her eyes flew open, the lunatic light slowly fading from them. The bewildered look on her face took a bit longer.

“Oh. Er. Princess Kaguya. I just came out here to talk to some friends back on the moon.” Anxiously, she added, “Lady Yagok—er, Master asked me to keep tabs on them. I wasn't trying anything, I promise!”

It had been like this ever since the girl— _Reisen_ , apparently—had arrived. The poor thing was a wreck. She'd been an anxious mess when she'd arrived, and the grilling that Eirin had given her certainly hadn't helped. She jumped at every shadow, and she watched the mansion's other inhabitants like a whipped dog waiting for another beating. When she'd talked about fleeing the front lines of a war, Eirin hadn't believed her at first. Seeing how she behaved... Kaguya couldn't doubt her for an instant.

Reisen looked like she might pass out from fear. In contrast, Kaguya tried to look as calm as possible. She rested the cups on the floor and took a seat next to them. “Tea is better with company anyway.”

Reisen nodded uncertainly. Kaguya lifted the pot and started filling the cups. “Did you know that watching the moon is a human custom?”

Reisen's eyes drifted from Kaguya, to the unclaimed cup, and back again. “I didn't, no.”

“They say that sake is even better for moon-watching.” Kaguya claimed a cup and rested it in her lap. “They're right, but Eirin's being grumpy, so I'm stuck with tea for the moment. Would you like some?”

This time, Reisen didn't respond. Kaguya kept her eyes on the moon, taking the occasional sip of her drink... and observing the rabbit from the corner of her eye. Reisen's hands fretted in her lap. A nervous twinge shot through her ears whenever something moved in the forest. She kept an anxious eye on Kaguya. She did everything _but_ relax, really.

A few minutes passed in silence before Kaguya said, “Is something bothering you?”

Reisen flinched. Obviously she thought she'd been hiding it better than that. “It's... nothing. I wouldn't want to trouble you.”

“Oh, but if you're anxious, we can talk about it over tea. That's the best way to unwind.” Just to highlight that point, Kaguya took a longer sip of hers.

Reisen obviously wasn't convinced. She went anxiously quiet again. Kaguya watched her with polite curiosity. More and more tension built up in Reisen's body until she finally caved in, drooping down with a sigh. “Princess,” she murmured. “Did you come out here to keep an eye on me?”

“Ah? I'm not sure that I understand.”

“You're fugitives, and I'm... just a rabbit. When Master found me and I realized who she was, I thought for sure that she was going to kill me to keep this place a secret. There's no way to prove that I'm not a spy, and you don't have any reason to trust me.” As she spoke, Reisen's voice grew quieter and shakier. “I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Last night I was wondering if it might be better for me to just... leave...”

Her voice trailed off. Kaguya gave her a moment to recover, taking a long, thoughtful sip of her drink before she said, “Oh... I'm sorry, but the moon is just so beautiful that I got distracted. Could you please repeat all of that, Inaba?”

Reisen looked dumbfounded. Kaguya smiled. “Oh, if you already forgot, I guess that means it wasn't very important after all...?”

Reisen reddened, her ears slowly lifting in outrage. “Are you making fun of me?”

“Hmm...? That would be rude, wouldn't it?” Kaguya lifted the pot and started refiling her cup. “Would you like me to top off your tea, Inaba?”

“And my name is Reisen.”

“Oh, I apologize.” Kaguya shot her the sweetest smile as she sat the pot aside. “There are so many Inabas around, I'm afraid that my memory can't keep track of you all.”

“Maybe I should just go...”

“Ah, one moment... oh! I remember you now. You're the rabbit who was sleeping on my chest when I woke up this morning, aren't you?”

“I'm not that kind of rabbit!”

“Hmm...?” Kaguya took a thoughtful sip of her drink. “Oh! You're right. I apologize. You must be the rabbit who takes naps in my closet.”

Reisen stared at her in outraged disbelief. Kaguya stared back, with a look of such profound, blank innocence that even the idea that it might be faked seemed like a cruel accusation.

Reisen broke first. “Princess, even if this is just an act, I think that you might be crazy.”

“Crazy...? Oh! I see now. You must be the Inaba who wanted to sit on my lap this afternoon.”

“That must be it,” Reisen said, half-exhausted, half-indulgent.

“I'm glad that's sorted out then,” Kaguya said sunnily. She nursed her tea, giving Reisen time to recover. Reisen still didn't touch her cup. After a few minutes, she said, “Inaba... I don't know what was bothering you earlier, but I'm sure that it isn't anything to worry about. All of the Inabas are under my protection. I'd be a terrible pet owner if I let anything happen to you.”

Reisen stared at her face, searching, almost desperately, for any hint of duplicity. Her ears drooped. Her lips quivered. Tears welled in her eyes. And, in a barely-controlled tailspin, she plummeted straight to bawling. Between sobs, she choked out, “You… you _are_ crazy,” with a barely-restrained smile on her lips.


	2. Chapter 2

“Miss Reisen!”

It was one of the youkai earth rabbits. She ran down the hall, her bare feet thudding on the floor and her floppy ears bouncing with every step. Reisen had to admit that she didn't know the girl's name offhand—most of the youkai rabbits only rarely took human shape, and when they did, they all looked like young, brown-haired girls. She half-suspected that Tewi had arranged it somehow. Certainly, it made it hard for anybody else to keep tabs on their numbers.

Reisen raised an ear expectantly. The rabbit skidded to a stop, breathless. “M-miss Tewi said I should bring some sake out, 'cuz the other rabbits might get bored and wander off soon, an' I don't know where to find it, and…!”

Reisen listened to the request, her arms crossed. This was almost definitely an excuse for Tewi to get some booze. It was also, she had to admit, a pretty good idea. “There are a few barrels in the back of the storage room. Only take one of them though, okay? _One_.”

“Right…!”

The rabbit scampered off, as quickly as she'd arrived. Reisen barely had time to move again before Kaguya's voice stopped her. “They look up to you, don't they?”

Reisen glanced back and tried not to look too embarrassed. “I don't know if I'd say that. They definitely aren't lining up to help me out with any work… and half of them still expect me to pet them when they do a good job.”

“But isn't that how rabbits let you know that they like you…? Oh! But you just get embarrassed when I try to pet you.” Kaguya thoughtfully lifted a sleeve-draped hand to her lips, conveniently hiding key parts of her expression. “Does that mean that you hate me, Inaba?”

“Please don't say unreasonable things, Princess.” After the day's events, Reisen was too tired to really protest, and the night was only beginning. “The rabbits are ready, though. I'm not sure how good they'll be in a fight, but Tewi swears that they'll help. Has Master, er…?”

“Eirin is closing the pathway between the Earth and the Moon right now. If it works, we won't even need the Inabas here. Oh! Maybe that means we can drink with them all night instead! I've never been to a rabbit party before...”

“I'd rather not encourage them. Actually...” Responsibility hit Reisen like a brick to the face. Her ears drooped. “I should probably go make sure that they don't get too rowdy. A barrel of sake goes a long way when you only weigh a few hundred grams. Please excuse m—“

“Actually,” Kaguya interrupted, “there's something I'd like to talk to you about. Would you like to take a walk, Inaba?”

“I'm… not sure that this is the time for it, Princess. I still haven't checked all the locks, and—“

Again, Kaguya cut her off—this time, by grabbing her hand and tugging her gently, implacably along. “I'm sure it won't take long.”

Kaguya hummed under her breath as they walked through the manor. They passed the hall that led to her private chambers, and instead continued toward the back door. Once they were outside, she kept right on going, padding barefoot across the grass.

She didn't stop until they were a dozen meters from the mansion, in a thin cluster of bamboo. She released Reisen's hand and leaned back, peering up at the moon. “Hmm… is that the fake one, do you think? If anybody could make a good forgery, it would be Eirin...”

“I think it's the real one. … you said that you needed something?”

“Oh, you should learn to appreciate the quiet moments, Inaba. You never know when you'll have another chance to relax.” Kaguya shot her a teasing glance. It only lasted for a few seconds before her tone grew more serious. “Inaba… if this plan doesn't work, there might be fighting tonight.”

“Well, er, yes. That's why I'd like to go keep an eye on the rabbits. They won't be much help if they're drunk.”

Kaguya shook her head, sending a cascade of hair shimmering across her shoulders. “It isn't them that I'm worried about.”

“I'm a moon rabbit. I can handle myself in a fight.”

“But you left the moon because you were scared of fighting, didn't you?”

Reisen was left speechless for a moment. The past few hours, ever since a few lingering contacts on the moon had told her about the plans for a retrieval mission, had been a blur of activity. This was the first time she'd even stopped to think about the parallels. “I… guess I did, didn't I?”

Kaguya nodded, almost imperceptibly. “Inaba… Eirin and I are immortal. No matter what happens tonight, I think that we'll be fine. Even if we have one less rabbit defending us.”

“Are you telling me to leave…?”

“There's a village of humans nearby, right? You could hide out there! I'm sure that nobody would think to look for you there. Just put on a really big hat to hide your ears, of course.”

Kaguya nodded sagely, but Reisen's mind was already far off in other thoughts. Kaguya wasn't wrong. Those first few months on earth, she'd had regular nightmares about just this scenario—an invasion coming from the moon, getting captured and hauled back to answer for her crimes. Desertion wasn't a problem that the Lunar Defense Corps had ever faced before, but whatever punishment it carried, she doubted that she wanted to experience it. Just the thought of seeing her former owners again was sending her heart racing…

And yet, she was still here. Running wasn't an option, even for a moment. “I… I think I'll stay here.”

“Oh…?” Kaguya studied Reisen's face, not even bothering to hide her surprise. “Are you sure? I came up with a cover story to tell Eirin and everything. Oh, but if you want to choose which amatsukami you died fighting, I can change it a little.”

Reisen _was_ sure, she realized. Putting that to words was harder. Why _wouldn't_ she run away to avoid a chance of a horrible fate? It didn't make sense. Eirin and Kaguya were immortal. Even if they were dragged back to the moon and executed a dozen more times as punishment—

Her thoughts stopped there, as a realization hit her, one as strange and foreign as the Earth itself. “I can't leave. You… you and Master have done too much for me. If you got captured and I wasn't here to protect you… I don't know if I could forgive myself. I'll stay, Princess.”

Reisen had just sort of blurted it out in one go. Now that it was out there, it was almost as surprising to her as it was to Kaguya. She stared down at the ground in reflection, her ears flattening down against her head.

“I see,” Kaguya said softly. “I won't try to change your mind.”

“Thank you. I'll… do my best.” Now that the moment of moral crisis was over, Reisen felt drained. The past few minute had been tiring in ways that a fight never could.

“Oh, please do! We'll look bad if you do a halfhearted job out there.”

Reisen nodded. She opened her mouth, but couldn't find the right words to put into it. She was soon spared the choice anyway. Kaguya stepped forward and pulled her into a gentle hug, their cheeks pressed lightly together. “Moon rabbits aren't usually known for their courage and loyalty. … thank you, Inaba. I'm honored.”

“It's, um. It's my pleasure, Princess,” Reisen murmured, as entire new galaxies of confusing emotions blossomed in her head.


	3. Chapter 3

The seal of eternity around Eientei had been lifted. The Earth's impurity had crept in, bringing with it the tides of change. History was moving forward.

They received visitors now, beyond the occasional outraged intrusion from Mokou. Reisen went into the village to sell medicine and returned with the Earth's rustic luxuries. They held exhibitions. They went flower-viewing at the shrine. They were, inasmuch as beings touched by eternity could be, _alive_.

Today, it took the form of a trip outside of Eientei. A _long_ trip, for once. It had taken a week of wheedling, but Kaguya had managed to convince Eirin to let her travel halfway across Gensokyo, to the ravines near the foot of Youkai Mountain. They'd taken the cart up one until the banks were too narrow to continue, then stopped to spread out their picnic. Barely a hundred meters upstream, rainbows shimmered around a waterfall. Downstream, the walls of the ravine shielded them from the outside world. It was the ideal picnic spot—a perfect view, but secluded.

Right now, 'secluded' was probably the most important part, because Kaguya had already single-handedly finished the first bottle of sake.

“Oh! Oh, Inaba...!” Kaguya hurried down the bank, and barely stumbled to a stop just short of plowing into the river. She crouched down to peer into the water. “Are there fish in here? It would be fun to go fishing again, don't you think?”

“I think there are, yes...” Reisen laid a steadying hand on her shoulder. “We didn't bring any fishing supplies, though.”

“My hair is long enough to use for a line! Now we just need a hook.”

“That's a pretty strange way to fish, Princess...”

“It might work though, right?” Kaguya was in too good of a mood for the rejection to slow her down much, anyway. She stepped back from the water and twirled in place, sending her clothes swishing around her. “We should try to enjoy ourselves while we have the chance. If you don't want to fish, maybe we can try dancing!”

“Er.” The slightest blush rose to Reisen's cheeks. “I don't really know how.”

“Maybe today's a good time to learn.” Kaguya stepped through another spin, sweeping her arms in a wide flourish. It would have been an elegant motion if she weren't wobbling through every other step. She swayed a few times before managing to come to a stop, and giggled at the sensation. “Or do you think that I wouldn't be a good partner?”

“Princess, maybe we should...”

Reisen approached, her hands carefully outstretched to steady Kaguya. Kaguya danced away from her, snickering at her little game of hard-to-get. Her motions grew wilder as she moved along the riverbank, hopping from foot to foot and swinging her arms wide. “You'll have to be faster than that, Inaba. I—“

Kaguya landed again. This time, she didn't quite pull it off. She wobbled. Her arms flailed around to try righting her balance. And, she fell backward into the river.

**SPLASH.**

The water was barely came up to her chest. Kaguya giggled uproariously and slapped the surface, sending a wave cascading up to the bank. “Oh, maybe this means I should go fishing after all?”

Reisen stared at her for a few seconds, then sighed and started trudging down the bank. “Please be more careful, Princess.”

“Okaaaaay.”

Kaguya snickered to herself, and Reisen crouched down to offer her a hand. After hauling Kaguya out of the water, she led her back to the picnic area. She seated her off to the side and helped her out of the most sodden layers of the outfit. In a few minutes more, she'd gathered some brush and started a small fire. Once it was going, she knelt down next to Kaguya.

“There. Hopefully that does it. If you get a cold, Master is going to kill me...”

“Isn't that funny, though? I'm immortal. Aren't you the one we should be worried about?”

“ _I'm_ not going to be the one to tell her that.”

Kaguya leaned back to enjoy the warmth, but it didn't hold her attention for long. She idly watched Reisen: still fussing over her, tending to the fire, never resting for a moment. So serious and reserved. The only rabbit to catch this strange disease called Responsibility.

She'd never noticed the change, she realized. It had happened slowly, over decades. Reisen was no longer the skittish, half-broken thing she'd been when she'd arrived in Eientei. She had the confidence of somebody who knew her place in the universe, and had no doubts that she could fill that role. In her time in Eientei, Kaguya had remained safe, hidden away in her lunar stasis. Reisen, on the other hand, had grown into something new. It almost made her jealous. It was also beautiful and comforting, a flower managing to blossom in strange, harsh soil.

“Inaba, I'm afraid that I'm still not very warm.”

“Ah? I can add some more wood to the fire. I'll just need a few minutes to—“

Reisen was cut off, as Kaguya moved around the fire with deceptive speed. She settled down next to Reisen, hooked an arm around one of hers, and leaned in to lightly rest her head on the rabbit's shoulder.

Reisen was a surprisingly nice pillow. Decades of handling most of the mansion's manual labor had given her arm a layer of muscle—warm, reassuring, and firm. Kaguya barely resisted the urge to give it a probing pinch as she got comfortable.

“There we go,” she announced. “That's much better.”

The tension only very slowly drained out of Reisen's body. “You're getting my clothes wet too, you know.”

“Oh, I am. I suppose we'll just have to stay here until we're both dry, won't we?”

Reisen shot her an uncertain glance, but couldn't hide the ghost of a smile. When she didn't protest, Kaguya pushed her luck further. She let her head creep further up that shoulder, nuzzling in against it, until she was up against Reisen's neck. Even from the corner of her eye, she could see a flush creeping onto Reisen's cheek.

“Hmm. You're really comfy. Did you know that, Inaba?”

“I, er. I didn't, no.”

“You should consider a career as a pillow.”

“I...” Reisen paused to clear her throat. “If you ordered me to, I wouldn't have much room to say no.”

Reisen had obviously done her best to keep her voice serious and level, but she couldn't quite hide it forever. That flush on her cheeks had exploded, threatening to turn her entire face red.

Adorable. But it probably wasn't a good idea to torment the thing much longer. After a few more little nuzzles against Reisen's shoulder, Kaguya settled in to enjoy the warmth.


	4. Chapter 4

“Okay, Inaba, are you ready?”

“Please don't call me that in the village... but yes, I am.”

“Then here I come...!”

Kaguya stepped out from behind the folding screen in the corner of the shop. Reisen hadn't gotten a good look at the clothes she'd taken back there, but she immediately understood why it had taken so long for her to change—the outfit was a heavy kimono, patterned with cranes and chrysanthemums, and it easily had half a dozen layers. Lacquered pins held her hair in an elaborate bun. A paper fan dangled from one hand, casually elegant. If she'd dressed up any further, she would have disappeared beneath her clothes.

The shopkeeper made a few final tweaks to the bun before standing back and giving a nod. “It looks wonderful on you, dear. Goodness, I don't know if I've had such a lovely girl in the store in ages.”

“Oh, thank you.” Kaguya dipped her head in a grateful nod, then glanced to Reisen. “What about you, Inaba? Do you like it?”

Reisen opened her mouth to answer, and sort of tripped over the beginnings of half a dozen sentences. Sometimes, when Kaguya was just laying around the house petting rabbits and relaxing, it was easy to forget that she was a legendary beauty. Not today, though. Today, in that outfit, Reisen stared until she had to tear her eyes away, suddenly very intent about reading a sign on the wall. “It's a, er. A very cute look,” she said, her hands fidgeting with her clothes and wishing that she had a tie to adjust. “But is it really the kind of thing you'd wear around the manor? We're doing this because half of your wardrobe has holes burnt in them, you know.”

“Hmm, but you did say it was cute, right?” Kaguya tapped her chin with the paper fan, half a dozen nested sleeves swaying from her wrist. “Are you afraid that my beauty will distract you?”

“It's nothing like that!” Reisen said, while mentally conceding that it was a pretty likely possibility. She glanced to the pile of outfits they'd already decided on and did a bit of mental math. It would push them past the budget Eirin had given her to work with, but if she added a bit of her own stipend... “We can get that one, but that's the last of our money.”

It took a good fifteen minutes for Kaguya to change back into the outfit she'd arrived in and to pay for the purchase. Altogether, they'd bought six entire outfits for her, enough to last for quite a while... hopefully. Kaguya might have been immortal, but her clothes didn't survive many nights of fighting Mokou.

They'd left Eientei shortly after dawn, but by the time they stepped out of the tailor shop, the sun was edging up toward noon. Reisen settled her straw hat back into place, thoroughly grateful for its shade, and tucked her ears in under it. She hefted her medicine pack on and winced at the weight—the thing was heavy under the best circumstances, and now, she'd just added a few kilograms of silk to the load. “Are you sure that you want to follow me for the deliveries...? It's a lot of walking, and I don't think it's going to be very interesting.”

“Of course. Please lead the way.”

“Right...”

After years of delivering medicine to the village, Reisen had all the stops memorized. Today's route was along the western bank of the river, visiting some of the older manors and long-established businesses. In the middle of the summer, it wasn't a very eventful route—topping up a few supplies for aches and pains, replacing antiseptics, and making sure that nothing had expired.

It was a route she'd been walking for long enough to become a fixture. An old man came out to complain that his Ultrasonic Sleeping Cat had stopped working, and she spent a few minutes poking at it before deciding that she'd need to take it home and replace a capacitor. A housewife spent ten minutes talking her ear off about her husband's migraines. The temple school teacher thanked her for a student whose infection had gone away after a little medicine. She barely walked away from most houses with more than a hundred yen or so, but it seemed to be paying off in goodwill, at least.

The last stop for the day was the dye maker, a sizable building somewhere in between 'shop' and 'estate.' Kaguya had stood outside while she attended to her business, and waited with a smile as Reisen made her way back to the gate. “Is that the last one, then?”

“That's it. … if it were winter, I'd stop by some of the fishermen's houses, but they don't get injured as much when the weather is nice.”

“I see.” Kaguya fell in alongside her as they made their way out of the village. For a few minutes, they walked in silence. Then, in a casual tone, Kaguya said, “You seem to be pretty popular.”

“People need medicine. If Master did this, I'm sure she'd get far more attention...”

“Hmm, I don't know about that. You seem well-suited to it. … and you were smiling, you know.”

“Er, was I? I never noticed.”

“Mmhm. I never did see many rabbits smile while working on the moon...”

“This isn't the moon. And moon rabbits don't really get to do this kind of work...” Reisen trailed off thoughtfully. The realization that came to her felt both ridiculous, and so obvious that it barely even felt worth saying. “At this point, I probably have more in common with Tewi than with a moon rabbit. … please don't tell her I said that, or I'll never live it down.”

“Oh, do you?” Kaguya leaned forward to inspect Reisen's face. “Wouldn't that make you an earth rabbit?”

“I don't know if that's how it works...”

“I think it does. An impure earth rabbit, content to live a simple life...” Kaguya's hand snuck beneath the brim of Reisen's hat to stroke at a fuzzy ear. Just as Reisen was stiffening up to protest—both the hand _and_ the label of 'earth rabbit'—Kaguya smiled. “It suits you well, Inaba. There are plenty of other rabbits on the moon, so I'm sure it's fine if we keep you down here for ourselves.”

Reisen drew to a stop, looking over Kaguya's face questioningly and trying to keep her own expression stable. Kaguya, as always, looked placid and serene. It only made it harder to keep calm by comparison. And she did have to admit that Kaguya had a point. Thinking back, her life on the moon was a haze, punctuated by the few unpleasant moments that had led her to flee. Living on Earth hadn't always been easy, but it was never boring. Now, even if she could go back, she'd never truly _belong_ up there, not the way that she belonged in Gensokyo...

It was a strange thought, and one that took her a few seconds to grasp. “Well,” she said, her mind still churning away, “I didn't plan to leave anyway.”

“That's good. I'll get lonely if you ever leave us.” Kaguya gave her ear a final rub and stepped away. “Are you ready to go back, then?”

It wasn't the first time that Reisen felt certain that she'd caught a genuine smile beneath Kaguya's usual teasing tone. She was affectionate. It was in her nature. But if there was more to it than that…

Parts of Reisen desperately, frantically hoped that there was more to it than that. She felt left out whenever Kaguya shared a private smile with Eirin, and something inside her ached when she saw the intensity of the princess' feelings toward Mokou. Sometimes, when she had a few too many drinks or let her emotions get carried away, she thought that _maybe_ , maybe there could be a chance there.

But no. Kaguya was a Lunarian, and Reisen was a mere rabbit. Kaguya was a princess, and Reisen assuredly wasn't. Kaguya was an immortal, and Reisen would die one day. Kaguya was a beauty of legend, and Reisen had crumpled ears and strange stains on her hands from days of picking herbs. There were a thousand reasons that Kaguya could reject her—probably _should_ reject her. Her life here, living on Eientei and among the earthlings, was just too perfect. She couldn't risk anything that might endanger that happiness.

So, instead, Reisen said, “Sure,” and adjusted the weight of her medicine pack. “I'll try not to slow you down, Princess.”


	5. Chapter 5

Kaguya hummed to herself as she walked down the hallway.

On a tray, she carried the results of an hour of work: A steaming cup of tea, an egg over rice, some leftover chicken that she'd warmed up, and half a dozen slices of persimmon, arranged on a saucer as artfully as she could manage. It wasn't a lot, but it had taken quite a bit of reluctant coaching from Eirin to even get her that far.

There were continents younger than Kaguya, but it was maybe the fourth time she'd cooked in her life. After her previous attempt, Reisen had needed to work very hard to get the smell of her ill-advised radish-and-carp stir fry out of everybody's clothes.

Carefully balancing the tray, Kaguya turned a corner and made her way into Reisen's bedroom… or what passed for it, at least. The other rabbits didn't respect many firm boundaries, so it was something of a communal sleeping chamber. A dozen rabbits lay scattered around, napping on the floor. A few early risers watched with idle curiosity as she crossed the room to approach Reisen's futon.

“Inaba.” She waited a few seconds, but Reisen didn't even stir. “Inaaaaabaaaaa…”

It took a few more calls and a light prod with her foot before Reisen stirred. Her eyes drifted open, and she squinted up, blinking the sleep from them. “Princess…? What is it?”

“Well, since you had such a busy day yesterday...” Kaguya knelt down to present the tray to her. “I thought that it would be nice to bring you breakfast in bed.”

Reisen didn't bother to hide her surprise. She pushed herself up on an elbow, staring at the food like she was trying to figure out if this was some kind of joke. “Busy...? All I did yesterday was fix a fence and grind herbs.”

“That's still a lot more than I did, isn't it?”

Reisen didn't argue, but she didn't look convinced, either. When Kaguya didn't relent after a few more seconds, she sat up. She wasn't all that subtle as she gave the rice a cautious inspection with the tip of a chopstick. It was going to take a few years for Kaguya to live down the stir fry, it seemed. “It looks… nice.”

“Eirin gave me some pointers. I did all of the work, though! Or, well, most of the work. Oh, but don't let me keep you. Please, go right ahead.”

Reisen nodded, confusion still apparent on her face, and took a dainty bite of rice. Kaguya settled in to watch across from her.

“How is it?”

“The rice tastes… different?”

“Does it? Hmm, it might be the molasses.”

“People don't usually put molasses on rice,” Reisen said, in a carefully neutral voice.

“But molasses goes well with everything. Does it still taste good, though?”

“Well... actually, yes.”

“Good! Because I'm cooking breakfast every day from now on.”

Reisen sputtered in surprise, and came dangerously close to spraying rice out her nose. “Y-you, um.” She coughed a few times as she recovered. “You will?”

“I will!”

“Er.” Reisen dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. “You really don't need to do that, Princess. I'm up in the morning anyway. I don't mind handling it.”

“That's exactly why I want to do it, though. You've always working hard, Inaba. It's okay if I help out a little, isn't it? And it will be fun! Tomorrow Eirin's going to show me how to make omelets.”

“So, er, what's with the sudden interest in making breakfast?”

“Oh! Well, hmm. Do you remember what we talked about a few months ago, about how you're more like Tewi than a moon rabbit at this point? After you said that, I was thinking… I haven't been on the moon in centuries. And life on Earth is a lot more fun. Am _I_ still a Lunarian?”

“Er.”

“I'm not even sure if I still count as a princess, come to think of it. If you're a princess, you have to be a princess _of_ something, don't you?”

This was obviously going a bit too fast for Reisen. “I feel like Master would let you know if you weren't. I'm not sure what that has to do with making me breakfast, though.”

“Hmm, if I had to put it into words… Inaba, starting today, let's be earthlings together.”

“Earthlings.”

“Earthlings! You're an earth rabbit now, right? I'd like to be an earth human.” With every word she said, Reisen just looked more and more baffled. Kaguya tried to stifle her amusement, but within a few seconds, the urge was just too powerful. She feigned a polite cough to cover a giggle. “On the moon, rabbits do all the work and the Lunarians relax. That doesn't seem very fair, does it?”

“No, but—“

“Well, there you go, then. I know that I'm inexperienced and not very good with my hands, but I'd like to try helping out from now on. Please be patient with me, okay?”

Reisen spent a few seconds staring in silence, looking overwhelmed by the whirlwind of change that had practically run over her. “And you're really sure about all of that?”

“I am!”

“Er, well.” Reisen sighed, but a smile tugged at her lips. “If that's what you want, then I'll try to honor it, Prince—“

“Ah!” Again, Kaguya cut Reisen off—this time, by reaching over and giving her a reproachful little tap on the lips. “And no 'Princess,' of course. Inaba, I'm serious. Starting today, I'd like you to consider me your equal.”

“Um. Lady Kaguya, then?” Kaguya only glowered at that, and Reisen had to try again. She glanced aside, and took a few seconds to summon her courage before clearing her throat. “Do you really just want me to call you 'Kaguya'?”

“Oh, exactly! It sounds cute when you say it, too. Can you do it again?”

“Kaguya...?” Reisen looked at her almost desperately, but Kaguya didn't give her permission to stop just yet. Reisen's flush was threatening to spread all the way to her ears, but she steadied her voice and stated, “Kaguya.”

“Ah, good!”

Reisen's composure finally crumbled. Her ears wilted and she glanced aside, rubbing a burning cheek. “It isn't fair for you to ask me to do that when you've never called me the right name, you know.”

“Your name...? Oh, I'm not sure what you mean, Inaba.” The joke only made Reisen pout further. Even Kaguya had to cave in. After a pitying sigh, she said, “Oh, okay then. _Reisen_.”

Reisen obviously hadn't been expecting that. Now, on top of the blush, tears were welling in her eyes. “After a few decades, I was starting to wonder if you'd actually forgotten it...”

“Has it been that long…? Well, even if you're an earth rabbit now, it's pretty easy to tell you apart from the others.” Kaguya realized that she was smiling widely, herself, without her usual practiced control over her expression. It felt nice. Maybe this, too, was part of being an earthling. “This is kind of selfish of me, but could I make one more request? As your equal, of course.”

“Oh, um, sure, Princ—er. Kaguya.”

Kaguya dipped her head in a grateful nod and reached over the tray. She took Reisen's hands and interlaced their fingers. Kaguya's own fingers were slender and delicate, while Reisen's had a bit of roughness to them, the product of regular manual labor. It was a very nice contrast, but one that she'd have plenty of time to explore later. “Reisen,” she said, “could I please have a kiss?”


End file.
